Russian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia last week to discuss the future of Ukraine and European security, without Europeans present. On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we asked members of our network: how should Europeans react and how can they make their voices heard on Ukraine?
On 12 February 2025, the post-Cold War era ended, says Ilana Bet-El, as President Trump and President Putin agreed to negotiate without Ukraine or the EU. Subsequent US actions, including cutting defence aid and demanding Ukraine relinquish resources, have left Europe reeling. ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El explores the fallout with Ukrainian civil society leaders Olena Tregub and Inna Pidluska.
The fall of the Assad government was a serious blow to Moscow’s image in the MENA region and on the international stage. It was a reality check for those who believed the Kremlin’s support could be the key to political survival. However, Nikolay Kozhanov argues that Assad’s fall is unlikely to be a turning point in Russia’s presence in the broader Middle East. He notes that Russia has worked to diversify its relationships across the region since the mid-2010s, especially looking to strengthen ties in the Gulf.
Trade shapes the global economy, yet how international trade actually works remains a mystery to many. What are tariffs? What is a trade war? Amidst the turmoil wrought by Trump’s threats and promises to tariff China, Canada, Mexico, and more, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El joins experts Sylvia Chen and Sara Nordin to unravel trade law, tariffs, and their impact on policy and supply chains.
The world shifted on 20 January 2025 with Donald Trump’s return to the White House. His bold actions—exiting the Paris Climate Agreement and World Health Organisation—signal an ambition to not only dismantle Biden’s legacy but elements of the post-war multilateral order. However, much of President Trump’s focus so far has centred on domestic issues, raising questions about the gap we may see between rhetoric and reality in US foreign policy under Trump 2.0. ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El explores this with Dr Kathleen McInnis.
In the disaster zone that is currently the Middle East, Iran looms large. From its missile attacks on Israel to supporting Hizbollah, Hamas and the Houthis — it is perceived to be a malign presence across the region, especially from the Western perspective. To better understand Iran and its place in the world, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by her colleague, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Dr Roxane Farmanfarmaian of Cambridge University, in a strong and enlightening discussion that touches on the history of Iran and its international position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, through the Iran-Iraq war of the 1990s, all the way to understanding its regional and global interests today.